I have been reading alot lately about types of bikes and what works best for your style of riding. With all of the new styles of riding and specific designs of bikes, it would be nice to know if 90% of mountain bikers should truly be riding "trail bikes" like some magazines have been saying.

The poll: Which best describes your "MAIN" style of riding. Please explain what your main bike for this style is.

Actually, I posted as a poll and as I was entering in the poll information I hit the "back" button to copy and paste. When I tried to go back to the 'poll' it wouldn't let me do it anymore. I figure I'll let it go a few days and then post a tally.

As for gravel roads, ya I guess I forgot that people ride MTB's on more than trails and wild terrain. There are a ton of MTB'ers that ride paved trails in my town as well as singletrack.

I guess XC describes my riding best. I like most any trail. However, I leave the extreme stuff to others. I'll do a few small jumps or drops, but that's about it. At 45 with a broken vertebrae, my extreme days are behind me!

XC, 51 years old, I go as hard as I can and keep my limitations always in the forefront. Relatively new, I am a quick learner, but wise enough to leave the risk taking stuff to the more experienced and usually, younger riders. I still take plenty of falls, but so far at low speeds trying to do more technical rocky trail/bunny hop type riding.

Downhill - exclusively my transition dirtbag/bighit
FR - depends, sometimes my roast, trailorpark or bighit/transition.
Trail riding - just like fr. Little of each depending on which side of the coin I feel like excelling at.

Mael, you needed one more box on the poll: "All of the above." I'd check that (well, maybe not mountaincross, tho' I'd liike to give that a try too).

Most of my focus is toward 2, 3 & 4; but I do a lot of more XC-oriented trail riding: like or shop's weekly group rides; and XC racing at a much more casual/recreational level than my DH racing. I even enjoy getting out on the tame bike paths for rides with my wife (though I think I finally have her talked into letting me get her a mountain bike ) As long as it's making the pedals go 'round and 'round and doesn't send me headlong into serious bodily harm, I'm down with it.

Mostly XC. I used to go really hard then stop for a breather, then hard again. I love logjams, creek crossings, hills, and jumps and drops (but nothing really above 2-3 ft. at most). I'm working on a riding style that's is more smooth and consistant.

I ride XC, partly because that's all the trails near me have to offer. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I like riding XC because I love the aerobic part of the ride and the minimalist nature of it all.